South Australia bids for IRB Sevens
An interesting development!
I can't see them out bidding Melbourne, if it is to be in Australia, but great to see they think there is enough interest in South Australia to have a crack at it.
South Australia bids for IRB Sevens
June 30, 2006 - 3:00pm
Story by: ARU
The Australian Rugby Union (ARU) and South Australian Rugby Union (SARU) today welcomed the South Australian Government joining in the bid for a leg of the International Rugby Board’s (IRB) global Sevens competition.
Mr Rob Nelson, Chief Executive Officer of SARU welcomed Premier Mike Rann’s announcement of the bid.
“This is something we have been working on for some time and we are delighted at the support shown by the Premier and his Government,” said Mr Nelson.
“Adelaide was one of the success stories of the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia and we feel the entertainment-packed Sevens format will be well received by South Australians should our bid be successful.
“The IRB Sevens would provide a terrific platform to build on the growth of our game in South Australia.
“The next step in that growth of rugby in this State occurs on Friday, 14 July when the Australia A side plays Fiji. Fiji, who are also stars in the Sevens format, play the 15-man game with the same extraordinary attacking flair and crunching defence.”
Mr Gary Flowers, Managing Director of the ARU, also welcomed the bid by the South Australian Government through Events South Australia.
“At the recent Commonwealth Games, after the athletics, Sevens was the most sought after ticket. It attracted 150,000 spectators across four sessions,” said Mr Flowers.
“If successful in their bid, Adelaide will star alongside other legs in the global Sevens competition in London, Paris, Hong Kong, Dubai and Los Angeles. Sevens is televised by 29 international broadcasters, reaching 150 million homes in 130 countries.”
